In the midst of this turmoil, Anne's maternal instincts kicked in. She had to protect her son, even from himself. With a trembling voice and tears welling up in her eyes, she pleaded, "Paul, please, you're not thinking clearly. Elena is gone, and no one is hiding her from you. I love you, and I can't bear to see you like this."
Paul, his anger simmering just beneath the surface, seemed momentarily torn. His mother's words had struck a chord, reminding him of the love and care she had always provided. But his obsession with Elena and his unyielding belief that she was being kept from him continued to grip his mind.
In that fraught moment, Anne made a fateful decision. She knew she couldn't reveal the truth, but she couldn't allow her son to descend further into madness either.
The air in
